John Pilger(2019-12-02). Visiting Assange, Britain's Political Prisoner.counterpunch.orgI set out at dawn. Her Majesty's Prison Belmarsh is in the flat hinterland of south east London, a ribbon of walls and wire with no horizon. At what is called the visitors centre, I surrendered my passport, wallet, credit cards, medical cards, money, phone, keys, comb, pen, paper. I need two pairs of glasses. More

Alex Darocy(2019-12-02). SCPD Request for New Tasers to be Addressed at Public Safety Committee Meeting.indybay.orgThe City of Santa Cruz Public Safety Committee will take up the issue of police Tasers at its next meeting on December 2. A request from the Santa Cruz Police Department for the Santa Cruz City Council to approve a contract with Axon Enterprise, Inc. to re-outfit the entire police department with new Taser guns, at a cost of $235,439, was placed on the consent agenda of the November 12 City Council meeting, but was pulled after inquiries from the Santa Cruz ACLU. SCPD's proposed Taser purchase is listed as item number four on the agenda of the Public Safety Committee meeting, which will be held at 5: 30 pm on Mond…

IMEMC News & Agencies(2019-12-02). Detention of al-Badan Continues Despite Deterioration of Health.imemc.orgIsraeli occupation authorities continue to administratively detain a Palestinian mother of two, Shorouq Mohammad al-Badan, 25 years old, from Bethlehem, despite her deteriorated health condition, the Commission of Detainees' Affairs said, on Sunday. The committee pointed out, after the detainee's lawyer visited her at al-Damon Prison, that she is suffering …

Ramzy Baroud(2019-12-02). Israel's Unfinished "Coup"dissidentvoice.orgThis time, nothing seems to work. Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has tried every trick in the book to save his political career and to avoid possible prison time. But for Israel's longest-serving leader, the honeymoon is certainly almost over. It is an "attempted coup", is how Netanyahu described his indictment on charges of fraud, …

IMEMC News(2019-12-02). Army Abducts Three Palestinians In Jerusalem And Bethlehem.imemc.orgIsraeli soldiers abducted, on Monday at dawn, two Palestinians from Silwan town, south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, and one from Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem. The Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) has reported that the soldiers invaded and searched homes in Ein al-Louza neighborhood in Silwan, before abducting …

James Wright(2019-12-01). Ex-chief prosecutor says Boris Johnson is 'lying to us' about the London attack.thecanary.coA terror attack on London bridge left two people dead on 29 November. Now the former chief prosecutor for North West England Nazir Afzal is saying that both Boris Johnson and home secretary Priti Patel are lying to us about the issues surrounding the tragedy. | The corporate media also seems to be falsely suggesting that Corbyn wants to release terrorists early from prison. But his answer on Sky's Sophy Ridge was a lot more detailed. | "Both lying to us": | Afzal felt he had a duty t…

LaLa B Holston-Zannell(2019-12-01). Reducing HIV Transmission Requires Decriminalizing Sex Work.aclu.orgTransgender people are criminalized for our bodies. | We are profiled, stereotyped, and presumed | guilty based on the way we look or for failing to meet gender expectations, and | it must stop. | Nearly one | in six transgender people has been incarcerated. For trans people of color, | the number is one in two. It's staggering, and it demonstrates the deep bias in | our current laws and criminal justice system. | This World AIDS Day, let's not forget that transgender | women —…

Ted Glick(2019-12-01). How We Win via NVDA Campaigning.dissidentvoice.org Long-time peace, justice, democracy and lgbtq activist and trainer George Lakey has written a book, How We Win: A Guide to Nonviolent Direct Action Campaigning, about the strategic centrality to movement-building of the approach of nonviolent direct action campaigning. Built upon his decades of organizing experience going back to the '60s civil rights movement, there …

John Pilger(2019-11-30). Visiting Britain's Political Prisoner.dissidentvoice.org I set out at dawn. Her Majesty's Prison Belmarsh is in the flat hinterland of south east London, a ribbon of walls and wire with no horizon. At what is called the visitors centre, I surrendered my passport, wallet, credit cards, medical cards, money, phone, keys, comb, pen, paper. I need two pairs of glasses. …

Ashoka Mukpo(2019-11-27). "If I Could Just Look at Her"aclu.org Watch the journey of two separated parents trying to cross the border and reunite with their children.: | " data-whitelisted="false" data-domain="www.youtube.com"> | In October, the Trump administration admitted that in a 12-month period, beginning in July 2017, it separated 4,370 immigrant children from their parents at the border. Since then, over 1,000 more have been separated under a dubious loophole that all…

John Bachtell(2019-11-27). Storied national civil rights group re-founded at Chicago gathering.peoplesworld.org CHICAGO — "We share a vision for community control of the police, freedom for all political prisoners and the wrongfully convicted. Abolishing the police and prisons, is part of a larger vision of changing and abolishing governments that oppress us," declared Frank Chapman, to a gathering here Nov. 22-24 to re-establish the National Alliance Against …

Kate Oh(2019-11-26). It's Past Time Congress Reined in the President's Emergency Powers.aclu.orgThe full Senate could soon consider legislation that would rein in the | president's emergency powers and bolster the principle of separation of | powers that underpins American democracy. This legislation, the ARTICLE | ONE Act as amended by a Senate committee, contains sensible reforms of the | National Emergencies Act of 1976 (NEA), the flawed and outdated law that | governs the emergency declaration process. | Under | the current national emergencies declaration process, Congress must muster a | veto-proof two-thirds supermaj…

Fight Back(2019-11-26). Chicago conference to relaunch National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression a huge success.fightbacknews.orgChicago, IL – More than a 1200 joined together for an historic gathering on the weekend of November 22 — 24, at the hall of the Chicago Teachers Union, to refound the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. The newly refounded Alliance will concentrate its efforts on building the fight against police crimes and for community control of the police, and it will campaign for the release of political prisoners and the wrongfully convicted. | Longtime leaders of the Black liberation movement Angela Davis and Frank Chapman, along with elected officials, trade unionists, and other progressive ac…

David Cole(2019-11-26). We're Grateful for the Constitution.aclu.orgThanksgiving is here: that time of year when we pause to take stock of all we're grateful for. At the ACLU, we're saying thanks for all the crucial wins from our legal teams — and for the Constitution. | In just the last few months, we've racked up many essential victories in the ongoing battle to protect civil liberties and civil rights. The scope of these victories is breathtaking: they span criminal justice, privacy, religious freedom, reproductive rights, due process for immigrants, racial justice, LGBTQ rights, and the right to protest the Keystone pipeline, among others. We've won crucial victories…

Ashoka Mukpo(2019-11-25). In Nicaragua, She Dodged Bullets. Now She's Stuck at the Border.aclu.org (Ciudad Juarez, Mexico) The sting of tear gas was still in Julia's eyes when she ran into a public park in the center of the Nicaraguan city of Estelí on June 20, 2018. Earlier that day, she'd wrapped her face in a blue-and-white bandanna — the colors of the Nicaraguan flag — and joined a student-led march against the government of President Daniel Ortega, whose proposed cuts to social benefits were sparking tense street demonstrations across the country. [Note: 'Julia' is a pseudonym; the ACLU is protecting her identity for her safety.] | As the students marched through the streets, paramilitary p…

Charlie Hogle(2019-11-25). The Trump Administration is Unlawfully Detaining a U.S. Resident Without Charge.aclu.orgAdham | Hassoun completed his criminal sentence and was set to be released from prison almost | three years ago. But the government — now claiming unprecedented and | unconstitutional powers under the USA Patriot Act — continues to hold Adham in | detention, indefinitely and without charge. | We're | in court to secure his freedom. | Adham | has called the United States home for 30 years. Born in Lebanon to Palestinian | refugees, Adham and his family — like many other refugees — suffered…

Staff(2019-11-25). Pope Francis Calls Nuclear Weapons Immoral as Catholic Activists Face Jail For U.S. Nuke Base Action.democracynow.org Over the weekend, Pope Francis visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where the United States dropped the first atomic bombs in 1945, killing more than 200,000 people. Pope Francis said, "A world without nuclear weapons is possible and necessary." The leader of the Cathoilc Church met with survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings and declared the possession of nuclear weapons to be immoral. The Pope's visit comes as a group of seven Catholic peace activists are awaiting sentencing for breaking into the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in Georgia on April 4, 2018. The activists, known as the Kings Bay Plowshares 7,…

Staff(2019-11-25). Police Raid Egypt's Last Independent News Outlet Mada Masr Amid "Increasingly Hostile" Media Climate.democracynow.org Egyptian security forces raided the office of Mada Masr, the country's last independent media outlet, and arrested three of its journalists this weekend. The raid began Sunday afternoon, when nine plainclothes security officers entered the Mada Masr office in Cairo, seizing phones and laptops and holding the staff in the building for more than three hours. They then arrested editor-in-chief Lina Attalah, managing editor Mohamed Hamama and reporter Rana Mamdouh. It came just a day after security forces arrested senior editor Shady Zalat at his home. All four journalists were released from detention Sunday night. T…

Fight Back(2019-11-23). Over 1200 rally in Chicago at relaunch of National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.fightbacknews.orgChicago, IL – More than a 1200 joined together November 22, at the hall of the Chicago Teachers Union, to refound the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. The newly refounded Alliance will center its efforts on building the fight against police crimes and for community control of the police, and it will campaign for the release of political prisoners and the wrongfully convicted. | Longtime leaders of the Black liberation movement, Angela Davis and Frank Chapman, along with elected officials, trade unionists, and other progressive activists addressed the packed rally that opened the confere…

Staff(2019-11-22). "In Defense of Julian Assange": Why WikiLeaks Founder's Case Threatens Press Freedom.democracynow.org This week Swedish prosecutors dropped an investigation into sexual assault allegations against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, stemming from 2010. Assange, who has always denied the allegations, took refuge inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London for over seven years to avoid extradition to Sweden on the charges. British authorities dragged him out of the Ecuadorian embassy in April and he has since been jailed in London's Belmarsh prison on charges related to skipping of bail in 2012, when he first entered the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden over the now-dropped sexual assault charges. The United States…

Staff(2019-11-22). U.N. Rapporteur: Julian Assange Has Faced Psychological Torture; He Should Not Be Extradited to U.S.democracynow.org This week Swedish prosecutors dropped an investigation into sexual assault allegations against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, stemming from 2010. Assange, who has always denied the allegations, took refuge inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London for over seven years to avoid extradition to Sweden on the charges. British authorities dragged him out of the Ecuadorian embassy in April and he has since been jailed in London's Belmarsh prison on charges related to skipping of bail in 2012, when he first entered the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden over the now-dropped sexual assault charges. The United States…

Neema Singh Guliani(2019-11-21). Congress Just Temporarily Extended the Government's Spying Powers.aclu.orgCongress today temporarily extended the NSA's spying powers that time and again have been used to violate our rights. Disturbingly, this three-month extension was snuck into a broader funding bill, forcing members of Congress to choose between extending this program and causing a government shutdown. The extension is an unnecessary lifeline to spying programs that are plagued with compliance violations, have no proven intelligence value, and violate our rights. | Under Section 215 of the Patriot Act, one of the spying | powers extended, the government believes it has the right to collect our | personal inform…

Scarlet Kim(2019-11-20). The U.S. Government Tracked, Detained, and Interrogated Journalists. We're Suing on Their Behalf.aclu.org As part of a coordinated effort that undermined the freedom of the press, the U.S. government tracked, detained, and interrogated journalists who were reporting on conditions at the U.S.-Mexico border. Now, we're suing on their behalf to defend their First Amendment rights. | Together with the New York Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties, we're representing five photojournalists who traveled to Mexico in late 2018 and early 2019 to document the experiences of people traveli…

Heather L. Weaver(2019-11-18). Students Told They Would Be Better Off 'If They Had Jesus in Their Life'.aclu.org The ACLU and the ACLU of Tennessee filed a lawsuit against the Smith County School System for violating the separation of church and state on Monday. According to the lawsuit, four students who are atheists have had to contend with school officials promoting Christianity through official prayers, Bible distributions, religious posters, and even a giant cross painted in one of the school's athletic facilities. | We asked our three high school clients in this case — Harleigh, | Leyna and Pyper — to tell us about their e…

Terri Gerstein(2019-11-18). Don't Suppress Votes of New Citizens.progressive.orgA new kind of voter suppression is being perpetrated by the federal government and flying largely under the radar: a multi-faceted effort to prevent legal immigrants from becoming citizens in time to vote.

splcenter(2019-11-05). SPLC celebrates 30th anniversary of Civil Rights Memorial.splcenter.orgThe first African American elected mayor of Montgomery, Alabama — a city known as both the "Cradle of the Confederacy" and the "Birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement" — urged those who gathered today to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Civil Rights Memorial to ask themselves how they can make an impact on the lives of others.

Warm reception for SEP candidate Chris Marsden at Sheffield student meetingwsws.org | 2019-12-02
Marsden told students that Britain has the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, who is being targeted because he exposed war crimes, locked up in a maximum-security prison and intends to ship him to America to face 175 years in prison.www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/02/keds-d02.html

Hundreds Attend London Meeting to Demand Freedom for Julian Assange
World Socialist Web Site | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-02
Hundreds packed the St Pancras New Church in Euston Thursday night for a meeting demanding freedom for imprisoned WikiLeaks founder and journalist Julian Assange. | The largest meeting held in London to date reflects growing opposition to plans by the …
globalresearch.ca/hundreds-attend-london-meeting-demand-freedom-julian-assange/5696489

Visiting Assange, Britain's Political Prisoner
John Pilger | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-02
I set out at dawn. Her Majesty's Prison Belmarsh is in the flat hinterland of south east London, a ribbon of walls and wire with no horizon. At what is called the visitors centre, I surrendered my passport, wallet, credit cards, medical cards, money, phone, keys, comb, pen, paper. I need two pairs of glasses.counterpunch.org/2019/12/02/visiting-assange-britains-political-prisoner/

SCPD Request for New Tasers to be Addressed at Public Safety Committee Meeting
Alex Darocy | indybay.org | 2019-12-02
The City of Santa Cruz Public Safety Committee will take up the issue of police Tasers at its next meeting on December 2. A request from the Santa Cruz Police Department for the Santa Cruz City Council to approve a contract with Axon Enterprise, Inc. to re-outfit the entire police department with new Taser guns, at a cost of $235,439, was placed on the consent agenda of the November 12 City Council meeting, but was pulled after inquiries from the Santa Cruz ACLU. SCPD's proposed Taser purchase is listed as item number four on the agenda of the Public Safety Committee meeting, which will be held at 5: 30 pm on Mond…indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/01/18828527.php

Israel's Unfinished "Coup"
Ramzy Baroud | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-02
This time, nothing seems to work. Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has tried every trick in the book to save his political career and to avoid possible prison time. But for Israel's longest-serving leader, the honeymoon is certainly almost over. It is an "attempted coup", is how Netanyahu described his indictment on charges of fraud, …dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/israels-unfinished-coup/

Army Abducts Three Palestinians In Jerusalem And Bethlehem
IMEMC News | imemc.org | 2019-12-02
Israeli soldiers abducted, on Monday at dawn, two Palestinians from Silwan town, south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, and one from Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem. The Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) has reported that the soldiers invaded and searched homes in Ein al-Louza neighborhood in Silwan, before abducting …imemc.org/article/army-abducts-three-palestinians-in-jerusalem-and-bethlehem/

Morales Vows To Do What's Best for Bolivia, Not Afraid of Jailtelesurenglish.net | 2019-12-02
The democratically elected President of Bolivia, Evo Morales, said Sunday that he would value the option of being imprisoned in Bolivia, if that action helps the Bolivian people, who suffer from a climate of anxiety and instability after the coup d'etat driven by the right of the South American country. | RELATED: | The Pro-Evo Upheaval in Bolivia: How is it Affecting the Canadian Political Scene? | "For the Bolivian people, for the political instrument, for t…telesurenglish.net/news/Morales-Vows-To-Do-Whats-Best-for-Bolivia-Not-Afraid-of-Jail-20191202-0002.html

There Can Be No Climate Justice Without Social Justice: Madurotelesurenglish.net | 2019-12-02
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro issued on Sunday a letter addressed to the heads of state and government meeting in Spain as they participate in the 25th conference of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP25). | RELATED: | Morales Vows To Do What's Best for Bolivia, Not Afraid of Jail | In the letter, the Venezuelan leader stressed that "there can be no climate justice without social justice", and mentioned that problems such as defores…telesurenglish.net/news/There-Can-Be-No-Climate-Justice-Without-Social-Justice-Maduro-20191202-0003.html

Criminalizing Speech and Press Freedoms. Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-01
The persecution of Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning is all about waging war on truth-telling. | Chelsea Manning remains imprisoned for invoking her constitutional right to remain silent — for refusing to testify against Assange. | Her First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and …
globalresearch.ca/criminalizing-speech-press-freedoms-us-uk/5696400

Chile: Municipalities Call Citizens to Independent Consultationtelesurenglish.net | 2019-12-01
Chile's Association of Municipalities (AChM) on Friday announced that it will conduct an independent consultation on Dec. 15, which will be focused on the citizens' main demands. | RELATED: | Chile: People With Eye Injuries To File Lawsuit Against Piñera | AChM executives confirmed that they will make the consultation even though in April 2020 a referendum is convened for the country to pronounce on the realization or not of a new Constitution that replaces the current one, whic…telesurenglish.net/news/Chile-Municipalities-Call-Citizens-to-Independent-Consultation-20191201-0001.html

Ex-chief prosecutor says Boris Johnson is 'lying to us' about the London attack
James Wright | thecanary.co | 2019-12-01
A terror attack on London bridge left two people dead on 29 November. Now the former chief prosecutor for North West England Nazir Afzal is saying that both Boris Johnson and home secretary Priti Patel are lying to us about the issues surrounding the tragedy. | The corporate media also seems to be falsely suggesting that Corbyn wants to release terrorists early from prison. But his answer on Sky's Sophy Ridge was a lot more detailed. | "Both lying to us": | Afzal felt he had a duty t…
thecanary.co/trending/2019/12/01/ex-chief-prosecutor-says-boris-johnson-is-lying-to-us-about-the-london-attack/

Reducing HIV Transmission Requires Decriminalizing Sex Work
LaLa B Holston-Zannell | aclu.org | 2019-12-01
Transgender people are criminalized for our bodies. | We are profiled, stereotyped, and presumed | guilty based on the way we look or for failing to meet gender expectations, and | it must stop. | Nearly one | in six transgender people has been incarcerated. For trans people of color, | the number is one in two. It's staggering, and it demonstrates the deep bias in | our current laws and criminal justice system. | This World AIDS Day, let's not forget that transgender | women –…aclu.org/news/hiv/reducing-hiv-transmission-requires-decriminalizing-sex-work

How We Win via NVDA Campaigning
Ted Glick | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-01
Long-time peace, justice, democracy and lgbtq activist and trainer George Lakey has written a book, How We Win: A Guide to Nonviolent Direct Action Campaigning, about the strategic centrality to movement-building of the approach of nonviolent direct action campaigning. Built upon his decades of organizing experience going back to the '60s civil rights movement, there …dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/how-we-win-via-nvda-campaigning-a-book-review/

Hundreds attend London meeting to demand freedom for Julian Assangewsws.org | 2019-11-30
The largest meeting held in London to date reflects growing opposition to plans by the US government to extradite and imprison Assange for exposing war crimes, illegal mass surveillance and state corruption.www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/11/30/lond-n30.html

John Pilger visits Julian Assange in Belmarsh Prison: "Look how you frighten them!"wsws.org | 2019-11-30
The following speech was delivered by veteran investigative journalist John Pilger to a public meeting in London on November 28 at St Pancras New Church.www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/11/30/pilg-n30.html

Visiting Britain's Political Prisoner
John Pilger | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-11-30
I set out at dawn. Her Majesty's Prison Belmarsh is in the flat hinterland of south east London, a ribbon of walls and wire with no horizon. At what is called the visitors centre, I surrendered my passport, wallet, credit cards, medical cards, money, phone, keys, comb, pen, paper. I need two pairs of glasses. …dissidentvoice.org/2019/11/visiting-britains-political-prisoner/

Suriname: Military Court Demands President's Resignationtelesurenglish.net | 2019-11-30
Suriname's opposition political parties have demanded President Desi Bouterse's immediate resignation after a military tribunal sentenced the head of state for 20 years in prison due to killings during a military Junta in the 1980s. | RELATED: | Suriname To Dutch MP: 'We're Not A Failed State' | According to the ruling, Bouterse is implicated in the murder of 15 political leaders opposed to the military junta that he established in 1982, after a coup d'etat. | The head of state who is in China…telesurenglish.net/news/Suriname-Military-Court-Demands-Bouterse-Resignation-20191130-0009.html

"If I Could Just Look at Her"
Ashoka Mukpo | aclu.org | 2019-11-27
Watch the journey of two separated parents trying to cross the border and reunite with their children.: | " data-whitelisted="false" data-domain="www.youtube.com"> | In October, the Trump administration admitted that in a 12-month period, beginning in July 2017, it separated 4,370 immigrant children from their parents at the border. Since then, over 1,000 more have been separated under a dubious loophole that all…aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/if-i-could-just-look-at-her

Storied national civil rights group re-founded at Chicago gathering
John Bachtell | peoplesworld.org | 2019-11-27
CHICAGO — "We share a vision for community control of the police, freedom for all political prisoners and the wrongfully convicted. Abolishing the police and prisons, is part of a larger vision of changing and abolishing governments that oppress us," declared Frank Chapman, to a gathering here Nov. 22-24 to re-establish the National Alliance Against …peoplesworld.org/article/storied-national-civil-rights-group-re-founded-at-chicago-gathering/

Did an American Billionaire Philanthropist Play a Role in the Imprisonment of Iranian Environmentalists?
Murtaza Hussain | theintercept.com | 2019-11-27
In September 2017, a group of Iranian environmentalists working on Asiatic cheetah preservation with the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation felt a pang of alarm. Thomas S. Kaplan, a billionaire precious metals investor then best known for his fine art collection, had just made a surprise public appearance in New York at the annual conference of United Against Nuclear Iran. The Iranian environmentalists were concerned because their group had gotten aid from one of Kaplan's nonpolitical charities. Now, he was sp…theintercept.com/2019/11/27/iran-environmentalists-panthera-thomas-kaplan/

Political affiliation bias is the last type of discrimination society approves of — and study shows we're embracing it ferventlyrt.com | 2019-11-27
In an ultra-PC society where even the suggestion of racial, ethnic or gender bias can get a person fired or ostracized, another type of discrimination — a political affiliation-based one — is thriving, according to a new study. | Discrimination may have become taboo in US society, but it hasn't gone away. A new study shows discriminatory behavior thrives in the one area where it remains socially acceptable to judge people based on shared attributes: political affiliation. Politics remains one of the few pers…rt.com/usa/474499-political-discrimination-colors-hiring-study/

It's Past Time Congress Reined in the President's Emergency Powers
Kate Oh | aclu.org | 2019-11-26
The full Senate could soon consider legislation that would rein in the | president's emergency powers and bolster the principle of separation of | powers that underpins American democracy. This legislation, the ARTICLE | ONE Act as amended by a Senate committee, contains sensible reforms of the | National Emergencies Act of 1976 (NEA), the flawed and outdated law that | governs the emergency declaration process. | Under | the current national emergencies declaration process, Congress must muster a | veto-proof two-thirds supermaj…aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/its-past-time-congress-reined-in-the-presidents-emergency-powers

Chicago conference to relaunch National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression a huge success
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-11-26
Chicago, IL – More than a 1200 joined together for an historic gathering on the weekend of November 22 — 24, at the hall of the Chicago Teachers Union, to refound the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. The newly refounded Alliance will concentrate its efforts on building the fight against police crimes and for community control of the police, and it will campaign for the release of political prisoners and the wrongfully convicted. | Longtime leaders of the Black liberation movement Angela Davis and Frank Chapman, along with elected officials, trade unionists, and other progressive ac…fightbacknews.org/2019/11/25/chicago-conference-relaunch-national-alliance-against-racist-and-political-repression-hug

We're Grateful for the Constitution
David Cole | aclu.org | 2019-11-26
Thanksgiving is here: that time of year when we pause to take stock of all we're grateful for. At the ACLU, we're saying thanks for all the crucial wins from our legal teams — and for the Constitution. | In just the last few months, we've racked up many essential victories in the ongoing battle to protect civil liberties and civil rights. The scope of these victories is breathtaking: they span criminal justice, privacy, religious freedom, reproductive rights, due process for immigrants, racial justice, LGBTQ rights, and the right to protest the Keystone pipeline, among others. We've won crucial victories…aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/were-grateful-for-the-constitution

In Nicaragua, She Dodged Bullets. Now She's Stuck at the Border
Ashoka Mukpo | aclu.org | 2019-11-25
(Ciudad Juarez, Mexico) The sting of tear gas was still in Julia's eyes when she ran into a public park in the center of the Nicaraguan city of Estelí on June 20, 2018. Earlier that day, she'd wrapped her face in a blue-and-white bandanna — the colors of the Nicaraguan flag — and joined a student-led march against the government of President Daniel Ortega, whose proposed cuts to social benefits were sparking tense street demonstrations across the country. [Note: 'Julia' is a pseudonym; the ACLU is protecting her identity for her safety.] | As the students marched through the streets, paramilitary p…aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/in-nicaragua-she-dodged-bullets-now-shes-stuck-at-the-border

The Trump Administration is Unlawfully Detaining a U.S. Resident Without Charge
Charlie Hogle | aclu.org | 2019-11-25
Adham | Hassoun completed his criminal sentence and was set to be released from prison almost | three years ago. But the government — now claiming unprecedented and | unconstitutional powers under the USA Patriot Act — continues to hold Adham in | detention, indefinitely and without charge. | We're | in court to secure his freedom. | Adham | has called the United States home for 30 years. Born in Lebanon to Palestinian | refugees, Adham and his family — like many other refugees — suffered…aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/the-trump-administration-is-unlawfully-detaining-a-u-s-resident-without-charge

Police Raid Egypt's Last Independent News Outlet Mada Masr Amid "Increasingly Hostile" Media Climate
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-11-25
Egyptian security forces raided the office of Mada Masr, the country's last independent media outlet, and arrested three of its journalists this weekend. The raid began Sunday afternoon, when nine plainclothes security officers entered the Mada Masr office in Cairo, seizing phones and laptops and holding the staff in the building for more than three hours. They then arrested editor-in-chief Lina Attalah, managing editor Mohamed Hamama and reporter Rana Mamdouh. It came just a day after security forces arrested senior editor Shady Zalat at his home. All four journalists were released from detention Sunday night. T…www.democracynow.org/2019/11/25/mada_masr_egypt_media_sharif_kouddous

Pope Francis Calls Nuclear Weapons Immoral as Catholic Activists Face Jail For U.S. Nuke Base Action
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-11-25
Over the weekend, Pope Francis visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where the United States dropped the first atomic bombs in 1945, killing more than 200,000 people. Pope Francis said, "A world without nuclear weapons is possible and necessary." The leader of the Cathoilc Church met with survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings and declared the possession of nuclear weapons to be immoral. The Pope's visit comes as a group of seven Catholic peace activists are awaiting sentencing for breaking into the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in Georgia on April 4, 2018. The activists, known as the Kings Bay Plowshares 7,…www.democracynow.org/2019/11/25/pope_francis_nuclear_weapons_hiroshima_nagasaki

Over 1200 rally in Chicago at relaunch of National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-11-23
Chicago, IL – More than a 1200 joined together November 22, at the hall of the Chicago Teachers Union, to refound the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. The newly refounded Alliance will center its efforts on building the fight against police crimes and for community control of the police, and it will campaign for the release of political prisoners and the wrongfully convicted. | Longtime leaders of the Black liberation movement, Angela Davis and Frank Chapman, along with elected officials, trade unionists, and other progressive activists addressed the packed rally that opened the confere…fightbacknews.org/2019/11/23/over-1200-rally-chicago-relaunch-national-alliance-against-racist-and-political-repressio

U.N. Rapporteur: Julian Assange Has Faced Psychological Torture; He Should Not Be Extradited to U.S
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-11-22
This week Swedish prosecutors dropped an investigation into sexual assault allegations against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, stemming from 2010. Assange, who has always denied the allegations, took refuge inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London for over seven years to avoid extradition to Sweden on the charges. British authorities dragged him out of the Ecuadorian embassy in April and he has since been jailed in London's Belmarsh prison on charges related to skipping of bail in 2012, when he first entered the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden over the now-dropped sexual assault charges. The United States…www.democracynow.org/2019/11/22/nils_melzer_julian_assange

"In Defense of Julian Assange": Why WikiLeaks Founder's Case Threatens Press Freedom
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-11-22
This week Swedish prosecutors dropped an investigation into sexual assault allegations against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, stemming from 2010. Assange, who has always denied the allegations, took refuge inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London for over seven years to avoid extradition to Sweden on the charges. British authorities dragged him out of the Ecuadorian embassy in April and he has since been jailed in London's Belmarsh prison on charges related to skipping of bail in 2012, when he first entered the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden over the now-dropped sexual assault charges. The United States…www.democracynow.org/2019/11/22/julian_assange_tariq_ali_margaret_kunstler

Congress Just Temporarily Extended the Government's Spying Powers
Neema Singh Guliani | aclu.org | 2019-11-21
Congress today temporarily extended the NSA's spying powers that time and again have been used to violate our rights. Disturbingly, this three-month extension was snuck into a broader funding bill, forcing members of Congress to choose between extending this program and causing a government shutdown. The extension is an unnecessary lifeline to spying programs that are plagued with compliance violations, have no proven intelligence value, and violate our rights. | Under Section 215 of the Patriot Act, one of the spying | powers extended, the government believes it has the right to collect our | personal inform…aclu.org/news/national-security/congress-just-temporarily-extended-the-governments-spying-powers

The U.S. Government Tracked, Detained, and Interrogated Journalists. We're Suing on Their Behalf
Scarlet Kim | aclu.org | 2019-11-20
As part of a coordinated effort that undermined the freedom of the press, the U.S. government tracked, detained, and interrogated journalists who were reporting on conditions at the U.S.-Mexico border. Now, we're suing on their behalf to defend their First Amendment rights. | Together with the New York Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties, we're representing five photojournalists who traveled to Mexico in late 2018 and early 2019 to document the experiences of people traveli…aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/the-u-s-government-tracked-detained-and-interrogated-journalists-were-suing

Students Told They Would Be Better Off 'If They Had Jesus in Their Life'
Heather L. Weaver | aclu.org | 2019-11-18
The ACLU and the ACLU of Tennessee filed a lawsuit against the Smith County School System for violating the separation of church and state on Monday. According to the lawsuit, four students who are atheists have had to contend with school officials promoting Christianity through official prayers, Bible distributions, religious posters, and even a giant cross painted in one of the school's athletic facilities. | We asked our three high school clients in this case — Harleigh, | Leyna and Pyper — to tell us about their e…aclu.org/news/religious-liberty/students-told-they-would-be-better-off-if-they-had-jesus-in-their-life

SPLC celebrates 30th anniversary of Civil Rights Memorialsplcenter.org | 2019-11-05
The first African American elected mayor of Montgomery, Alabama — a city known as both the "Cradle of the Confederacy" and the "Birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement" — urged those who gathered today to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Civil Rights Memorial to ask themselves how they can make an impact on the lives of others.splcenter.org/news/2019/11/05/splc-celebrates-30th-anniversary-civil-rights-memorial